Best Bagels on the Upper West Side

The Upper West Side has had a love affair with bagels for as long as we can remember. And understandably so. There’s no better feeling than starting your day off with a hot and crusty bagel for breakfast. Read on to discover where you can find the best bagels on the Upper West Side!

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Bagels & Co.

391 Amsterdam Ave (79th Street)

The bagels at Bagels & Co. are kosher and made from the finest of ingredients. They prepare them from scratch every morning and adhere to the New York Kosher guidelines. They’ve got tons of different bread varieties such as cinnamon raisin, garlic, multigrain, onion, poppy, sesame, etc..Their cream cheese spreads are just as delicious. There are more than a dozen flavors available including chocolate chip, scallion, hot pepper, kalamata olive, lox, and sundried tomato. A low fat cream cheese option is also available for only an extra 25 cents. The customer service at Bagels & Co. is attentive and friendly. They also do free delivery around the Upper West Side which is super convenient.

Absolute Bagels

2788 Broadway (between 107th and 108th Streets)

Absolute Bagels has been a part of the Upper West Side community for more than 20 years, and it’s one of my favorite places to eat on the UWS. Their bagels are prepared from scratch and follow a bake-and-boil method. This makes them incredibly fresh tasting. They make new ones every hour so you always get one that’s fresh out the oven. The friendly staff never fails to make each customer feel at home. The cream cheese spreads are served either by the quarter pound or by the half pound for $2.50 and $5 respectively. The lines get long so make sure you come in early. After all, it is one of the most popular bagel spots in NYC. Don’t forget to also bring some cash since they don’t take credit!

Broadway Bagel

2658 Broadway (101st Street)

Broadway Bagel is a neighborhood joint that’s famous for their hand-rolled and hot and crusty bagels. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their bagels come in plain, poppy, onion, wheat, pumpernickel, and other flavorful varieties. You can fill load them up with butter, jelly, cream cheese, lox, nova lox, and walnut raisin. Broadway Bagel takes the original concept one step further by incorporating a fresh salad as a topping on their bagels. There’s tuna, chicken, whitefish, shrimp, and egg salad to choose from. These extra loaded bagels also make for a wonderfully filling meal. The service is always attentive and the indoor seating is also perfect to enjoy the shop’s cozy ambiance.

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Barney Greengrass

541 Amsterdam Ave (87th Street)

One of the best Jewish delis in Manhattan, Barney Greengrass has been a staple of the Upper West Side for over 100 years – popular for breakfast, brunch and beyond. Their bagels are outstanding and also offer something for everyone. They have tons of bagel varieties such as poppyseed, onion, sesame, pumpernickel, whole wheat, and cinnamon raisin. Load your bagel up with the yummy vegetable cream. It has chopped scallions, cucumbers, carrots, and red radishes. Or go for the signature Barney lox spread with Nova Scotia smoked salmon. They also offer bialys which are almost identical to bagels but with a softer outer layer. Grab a seat inside, enjoy the old school decor, and take in the ultimate NYC bagel experience.

Orwashers Bakery

440 Amsterdam Ave (81st Street)

Orwashers is the Upper West Side’s premier artisan bakery. Their handcrafted sourdough bagels have delighting New Yorkers since 1916. The hint of sourness found in sourdough has long been considered to be the classic Gotham bread flavor. Therefore, Orwashers bagels are perfectly paired with a dill cream cheese spread. They also go along great with smoked salmon and spring onion as well as plain butter. The bagels are made from scratch on a daily basis. The bakery’s long history has allowed it to perfect their recipe for over a century. Orwashers was initially established by a family of Hungarian immigrants who wanted to bring over the traditional foods from their home country. The store’s only a block away from the American Museum of Natural History and also other of the neighborhood’s major attractions.

Zabar’s

2245 Broadway (between 80th and 81st Streets)

Last but not least, the iconic UWS grocer sells their kosher bagels online and in-store. They’re made with malt barley flour and are exceptionally good when toasted! Zabar’s is also super popular for their smoked fish, making it the perfect one-stop shop for those craving a bagel with lox.

Edgar Catasus is a a film fanatic, a food lover, and an Upper West Side enthusiast. After working in PR and marketing in Chicago, he is pursuing his dream of becoming a writer. He loves photography and on his spare time you can find him hiking or biking the great outdoors (while also snapping some pretty awesome Instagram pics!).

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About The Author

Edgar Catasus is a a film fanatic, a food lover, and an Upper West Side enthusiast. After working in PR and marketing in Chicago, he is pursuing his dream of becoming a writer. He loves photography and on his spare time you can find him hiking or biking the great outdoors (while also snapping some pretty awesome Instagram pics!).